


You're Beautiful

by ReiaLaReine



Category: Inanimate Insanity (Web Series)
Genre: Body Dysphoria, Fluff, Gender Dysphoria, I rated it teen and up cause there's talk about dysphoria, Other, THIS IS SELF-INDULGENT, Tickles, also trans girl lightbulb is god tier, but anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 04:05:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18422460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReiaLaReine/pseuds/ReiaLaReine
Summary: Paintbrush knew they were putting on weight, and a shirt like that would look unflattering.





	You're Beautiful

Paintbrush tossed another shirt into the basket of dirty laundry. They'd put it off for a few days, and plus, they didn't feel like painting at the moment. Baxter was crawling around his tank and snipping at the water to mimic the waves.

_He certainly takes after his mother._

They smiled, and turned back to their dresser.

Paintbrush frowned once they saw that there were no shirts left other than some t-shirt they cut into a crop top. They knew they were putting on weight, and a shirt like that would only look unflattering.

"You won't have to wear it for long, cycles only last for 40 minutes," they reassured themself. They grabbed the basket and headed down the stairs, pulling their shirt down a bit to cover as much of their stomach as they could.

They found Soap was also doing her laundry, while Cheesy and the Cherries were watching America's Funniest Home Videos. 

"Wait, wait!! Don't jump!" The left Cherry shouted, as the right one yelled "Noooo!!"

"And that, kids, is why you look down." Cheesy rolled his eyes, taking a sip from his can of Coke.

They tried to walk quickly to go unnoticed, to no avail.

"Hey, Paintbrush!" Soap turned to them. "Your crop top looks cute."

"Thanks," Paintbrush gave her a weak smile as they threw their clothes inside the washer.

'Yeah, I'd say it's a work of art."

Paintbrush forced a laugh, while Soap rolled her eyes.

"How are the art classes going, by the way?"

They hated small talk. "They're good. It's been a nice outlet for stress, so."

"I'm glad! I would join you, but uh," she rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm a little afraid of staining my clothes."

"So no stain, no pain?"

"Shut up, Cheesy."

"Yeah," they felt their discomfort eating at them inside. They turned to go back upstairs. "Well, let me know if you change your mind."

"I will."

Paintbrush speed-walked back to their room.

\-----------

They closed the door, and walked over to the mirror. They looked at their pudgy stomach, the stretch marks on their hips, and their lack of a thigh gap.

Paintbrush tried to pull down their shirt, but it didn't go farther than barely covering their ribs. It was covered in splotches of paint, which were in various colors. 

_This wouldn't even look that bad if I was skinnier._

Paintbrush sighed, and flopped back on their bed.

They laid there for a few minutes before they heard a familiar knock on their window. Getting up, they saw Lightbulb, who was propped up on the windowsill with her arms.

"Hey, Brush full o'paint, mind if I chill here for a bit?"

"No." As she climbed inside, they held onto her arms so she wouldn't fall, as she stepped inside and stretched. 

Lightbulb caught Baxter in the corner of her eye, and walked over to him. 

"Hey, it's our son!" She cheered, as she tapped on the glass. The small crab swam over to her and snipped his claws in response. She giggled. "I missed you, too."

Paintbrush went back to lay on the bed, as Lightbulb pet Baxter and played with him for a bit. "He hasn't wandered too far out of the room, thankfully. Only to the window."

"That's good! You make a cool parent, Painty."

"Thanks."

Lightbulb walked over and sat next to them. "You okay? You seem down."

"It's nothing." Paintbrush averted eye contact.

"You sure? I won't make you talk if you don't want to, but I'm always here to listen."

They were quiet for a few moments.

"Do you think I look...different?"

"In a good or bad way?"

"Just in general."

"I mean you're still growing, but to me, you look gorgeous as ever." She paused, giving Baxter a peck before putting him back inside of his tank. "Why do you ask?"

"I just feel like I look...worse. Like I don't look as nonbinary as I used to."

"What does nonbinary look like to you?"

"Just, skinnier. I felt like I didn't have to worry about curves as much. But now," they pulled down their shirt. "I feel ugly."

"I'm guessing your stomach's been bothering you?"

"Not just that. My thighs, my hips, and my sides."

"I've been in your shoes before," Lightbulb reassured. "Being trans is great, but the dysphoria sucks."

"Yeah. I just, if I don't look androgynous enough, am I really nonbinary?"

"I mean, you don't have to be skinny to be nonbinary." Lightbulb laid down next to them. "If you say you're nonbinary, you're nonbinary. No matter what your brain or what anyone says." She touched their hand for a second. "Are you cool with me touching you or-?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

She held their hand, rubbing her thumb on the back of their hand to calm them.

"Plus, I think you look cute, skinny or chubby."

"Really?" 

"Yeah! We can be chub buddies!"

They chuckled. "Chubuddies?"

"Yeah! Chubuddies forever!" She raised their arms in the air, as the two laughed.

"Chub is always good." She crawled over to their stomach, patting it. "Especially your chub."

Paintbrush felt their cheeks grow darker. "Yours is great, too."

Lightbulb squeezed their stomach gently with her hands, jiggling it a bit. Paintbrush tensed up, covering their mouth.

"You good?"

"Mhm."

"Your stretch marks look really pretty, actually." She traced their stretch marks along their hips as they giggled softly. Their giggles got louder when she tried to do the same with their sides, as they rolled away. "What's wrong?"

"It tickles, you dummy!"

"Oh." Paintbrush felt the regret sinking in as Lightbulb scooted closer. "It does, huh?"

"Don't you dare." They tried to get up, only to get pulled back by one of her arms, and her leg wrapped around theirs, preventing escape.

"Where does it tickle? Here?" She dug her finger into their stomach as they laughed and bucked away. "Or right here?" They squealed as she wiggled her fingers into their hips and across their waistline.

"You're awful!!" Paintbrush yelled as they moved their arms down to protect their sides. Instead, they trapped her hand there, as she squeezed and playfully prodded their skin as they giggled helplessly. "Get away from there!!"

"But your laugh's as amazing as your body!"

"I swear to god!"

"Fine, I'll be nice." She let them go.

"Well, I won't!!" They pounced on her and wiggled their fingers into her sides. Lightbulb laughed as she tried to kick them off.

"Truce!"

"I'm not falling for that!" They leaned down, lifting up her t-shirt, and blew a raspberry as she threw her head back.

"Uncle, uncle!!" She cackled. They placed one last raspberry before sitting up against their bed. She crawled onto their lap as she cupped their cheeks. They kissed her softly, as she kept giggling.

"You're so goofy."

"Yeah, but you love me." Lightbulb teased.

"I do."

"And I love you, chubuddy." She nuzzled into their neck as they grinned.


End file.
